Stanguellini was a small Italian manufacturer that from 1946 to 1966 produced primarily competition cars. The company dominated the 750 cc classes in Europe in the 1950s and later went on to international success in the Formula Junior Class for the 1957 season. The Stanguellini shown here with chassis number CS04080 is one of the three cars brought to the United States in 1954. It was purchased initially by Briggs Cunningham. The unique coachwork was produced in-house by the factory and the car is powered by a four-cylinder twin-overhead cam engine based on a Fiat motor.
Vittorio Stanguellini dominated the Italian 750 Class championship from cars he built in his Modena, Italy garage.
The Stanguellini features a sturdy tubular chassis suited for racing on public roads. Front suspension was by transverse leaf spring with a solid rear axle created by a Stanguellini design cable set-up, which is unique. Large finned alloy brake drums provide stopping power.
The aluminum 741cc four-cylinder engine that Stanguellini built for the 750 model had special cylinder heads, twin overhead camshafts, and two larger Weber carburetors. The engine was coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. The 750 Sport weighed only 1025 pounds and factory claims of from 60 hp to 72 hp made a top speed of 112 mph possible.
The riveted alloy gas tank is said to be a work of art and is filled through the cockpit with absolutely no firewall.
Chassis CS04080 was sold to Briggs Cunningham and entered that year's Watkins Glen road races, where it won the Queen Katharine Cup Race. The owner of Mercury Outboard Motors purchased the car and replaced the motor with a 750cc outboard motor. It went on to win the 3-hour enduro at Elkhart Lake in 1956 and set a land speed record at Daytona Beach.
Here below is a set of amazing photos of the 1954 Stanguellini 750 Sport Internazionale.
